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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29058267">Last Leaf on the Tree</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lori_yuy/pseuds/lori_yuy'>lori_yuy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Complicated Relationships, Curiosity, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Memories, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:49:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,522</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29058267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lori_yuy/pseuds/lori_yuy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabbles of memories between Tseng and Aerith from childhood till after her death.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aerith Gainsborough/Tseng</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Last Leaf on the Tree</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Birthday</strong>
</p><p>The drab of the room brightened up just a little as four small candles sat on top of the slice of cake. She squealed delightfully at the sugary treat set in front of her as if it was the first time she's seen cake. She quickly blew out the candles and reached to remove them but Tseng quickly stopped her small hand before she could burn it on the hot wax still dripping its way down the side of the candlesticks. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Only 15 more minutes. She was allowed the freedom to enjoy this fleeting moment for only that much longer. He grimaced as he thought about the life that the little girl had to endure and could not imagine how she was so happy to spend it this way every year. She lifted her head as if sensing his thoughts and said in a tone wiser than her age:</p><p>"How would I know I've grown bigger if I didn't celebrate my birthday at all?"</p><p>He left the room smiling later, an empty plate and a fork in hand, both licked clean by an eager little girl.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>That Question</strong>
</p><p>It was inevitable that the question would be asked one day, but Tseng did not expect to be on the receiving end of it.</p><p>"Hey Tseng?"</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>"Where do babies come from?"</p><p>He did his best not to choke on his breath and remained calm given the situation. Her mother was out in the lab being tested on and he became the next target for the age old question.</p><p>"You came from your mom's tummy." He gave the standard reply.</p><p>"Did you also come from your mom's tummy?"</p><p>Tseng almost snorted. "No I grew from a cabbage."</p><p>Her eyes widened in surprise and she nodded her head. "What? Cabbages never that told me they grew babies!?"</p><p>"I'm kidding. Yes I also came from my mom's tummy."</p><p>"Oh....how did we get there? Did mommy swallow me first?"</p><p>"She ate cabbage."</p><p>He decided to toy with her for fun and had a good laugh later when he was alone.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Do the Stars Know?</strong>
</p><p>It was two years later when he found her under the care of a widowed woman in the Sector 5 slums. She initially recoiled when she saw him but eventually she came out to speak with him as she realized he wasn't there to take her back by force.</p><p>One night as he sat with her somewhere on a playground on the upper plate, she pointed up to the sky.</p><p>"Proxima Aureus." Tseng replied.</p><p>She pointed at another.</p><p>"Dragonia Clusters."</p><p>She then pointed at the brightest one near the moon.</p><p>"Ethereal Diamond."</p><p>She sighed as she uncharacteristically leaned into him.</p><p>"I think they still have mom somewhere."</p><p>Tseng could not deny what she just said. Hojo had taken what remained of Aerith's mother and preserved her body as a scientific sample.</p><p>"She's not in the Lifestream...." she continued, her voice almost a whisper.</p><p>He realized then that she had tears in her eyes as she gazed upon the stars. "I can hear flowers, but I've never heard the stars before. I think they won't talk to me because they're not of this planet."</p><p>"The stars are wise, they know things we will never know." Tseng replied quietly as she clung to his arm.</p><p>"Do the stars know when I'm sad?"</p><p>He did not have an answer for her, but the streaming lights of the galaxy seemed to sparkle bright that night, reflecting off the tears in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>No Angels</strong>
</p><p>When he first found her there, he was taken aback by the sight of yellow lilies in full bloom from underneath the floor board of the old church.  She had snuck away for months apparently and started this garden patch while he was out on duty in other towns. She both smiled and was a little annoyed when she heard the familiar footsteps behind her.  She sat back on the broken planks, her feet dangling into the bed of flowers below as he approached and stopped short of where she was.</p><p>To her at age 9, he was like a guardian, always looking after her. A guardian...angel? No, he was no angel, that much she had already decided.  She points at the statue of an angel carved on the top of the alter and he gazed upon it.</p><p>"Did you know? There are no such things as angels?"</p><p>He hummed bemused.</p><p>"If there were angels, they would have taken me away a long time ago...oh but there are people with wings, but they're not angels."</p><p>The message was cryptic.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Pregnant?</strong>
</p><p>She held onto her belly and groaned in pain and he was immediately behind her when he heard.</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"I think I'm pregnant Tseng."</p><p>His eyes widened. She was only eleven, but that was enough of an age to become pregnant if anyone dared touch her while he wasn't looking after her.  Yet he calmly handled the situation. "What makes you think you're pregnant?"</p><p>"My tummy hurts." She replied as she doubled over again, this time head-bumping into his shoulder.  He looked at her  with wide eyes, unsure of what to do. Maybe bring her to a local clinic?</p><p>"When did it start hurting?"</p><p>"I don't know, this morning? I'm also bleeding. Is that normal?"</p><p>Realization dawned on him as to what was happening to her and his face almost settled into a sense of relief. "Let's get you home, Aerith."</p><p>"It's strange, I didn't eat any cabbage, I promise."</p><p>She still believed that?</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Purchasing Freedom</strong>
</p><p>Elmyra started giving her an allowance since she hit a certain age. She was frugal however and saved it all up. After all, she didn't want to spend her mother's hard earned money on being indulgent.  Months and months of money saved and she now had what she considered a small fortune. Enough to buy several weeks worth of sweets, cakes, or whatever she wanted.</p><p>Tseng came after her again, but visited her at the house instead. After she made him help her out with gathering flowers for the orphanage, an idea came to her.</p><p>"Wait here." She said as she ran back into the house and came back out with colorful Moogle coin bank. She shook the contents proudly at him.</p><p>"Tseng, would you leave me and mom alone if I paid you?" His eyebrows shot up. While completely amusing, he did not expect her to have this sly negotative side to her and definitely did not expect to be attempted to be bribed.</p><p>"No. You can't pay me enough to do that." He humored her.</p><p>"Not even if I gave you the WHOLE can of gil? There's A LOT in there~"</p><p>He held back the smile trying to break out on his face. "No Aerith, you can't bribe me to do that."</p><p>The ensuing pout on her face was the cutest thing he's seen all day.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Fruits</strong>
</p><p>Hidden in the back of the garden around her house were actual fruit trees. There were surprising amounts of insects to help pollinate the trees down in the slums and she was thankful for them. The little ants that crawled up to the flowers, the bees that buzzed all day till dawn. With fall approaching, the fruits on the tree were finally maturing.  She plucked a basket-full as he held her up over his shoulders. She threw him a freshly plucked apple as she also took one for herself.  They sat quietly under the tree, biting into the fresh juicy fruit. The aroma and the balance of sweetness and sourness hit just the right spots.</p><p>"Do you know what fruits are Tseng?" She asked with half a mouthful thoughtfully.</p><p>"Hm. Food?"</p><p>"Yes that, but they're moms to baby trees. Every apple in my basket is a mommy to new trees." She said as she spit the seeds out. "If you planted the whole apple somewhere, the fruit gives the seeds enough energy to grow healthy."</p><p>How like her to describe a fruit in those terms. Everything held sacred life in her eyes, including the food she is nourished with.</p><p>"However, we also need food, therefore, we eat the fruits, but I wonder how many more trees we'd have if we just let fruit be baby trees...and then there would be more fruit for everybody."</p><p>She had the mind of a resource manager, but there was truth to what she was saying. If she had freedom, he's sure she would have made the planet even better with her own hands.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>How do I Know?</strong>
</p><p>He's been aware of their blooming relationship for awhile now and didn't interfere even though he knew there was no future. Letting her have a semblance of normal teenage years was the best he could do.  She came to him with a new ribbon in her hair one day.</p><p>"Tseng?"</p><p>"Hmph."</p><p>"How do I know if I really love someone?"</p><p>A tough question really.</p><p>"Are you happy when you're with them and do you miss them when they're not around?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Are they on your mind a lot?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Do you feel like they have qualities that you admire?"</p><p>"...I think so?"</p><p>"Do their positive traits outweigh their negative traits?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"I think you have your answer."</p><p>Tseng left before she could ask him anything else. The tip of his heart tingled with a pain he was not ready for.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>When All Life Goes</strong>
</p><p>She was more pensive than he's ever seen her. Her gaze was almost always downcast, gazing into her flower bed intently. Was she communicating with them?  Zack had been gone from her life for over a year now and she still hands him a letter or two whenever he had the time to come down to visit.</p><p>"Hey Tseng?" the conversation prompt was the usual.</p><p>"What happens if all life on the planet dies one day?"</p><p>That was top secret research from the science department and he wasn't sure he was allowed to just tell her.</p><p>"Would anything miss us? It makes me feel really sad to think about it. It feels like watching the last leaf fall from a tree in the winter. I wonder if the planet itself would die."</p><p>A new planet. The remaining energy of the planet would be spent trying to gather its last life force to send it along to another place. It was both a comforting thought and an enigmatic one.  One he was probably never going to have to encounter in his life time, but as a steward of the planet, she had every right to think about such things.</p><p>"It makes me shiver Tseng. The thought of everything dying."</p><p>He took off his own jacket and threw it around her barely covered shoulders and sat quietly with her until she was ready to go home for the day.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>If I ignore you...</strong>
</p><p>As she grew older, she became more distant, dodging his usual visits through back alleys and unsafe roadways. He was proud of her picking up a staff to defend herself somewhere along the lines.  He still manages to find her here and there, but she tends to ignore him like he did not exist. Sometimes he'll spot her on the roadway in between Sector 5 and 6, petting the chocobos that go that route.  Sometimes he'll spot her actually in Wall Market, and he'd shadow her to make sure no thugs tried anything funny. Sometimes he'll spot her in various areas of the business district, pedaling her flowers away for a little extra cash. He quietly became the shadow that she did not acknowledge except the occasional times she left letters for Zack in the church for him to find...and he was surprisingly okay with it.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Would You Be Sad?</strong>
</p><p>It's been years since he's actually encountered her face to face and she had grown so much in those two short years. The circumstances were less than ideal however. His men were about to drop the plate on top of Sector 7 slums and yet here she was, hiding out in a bar with a little kid hiding behind her legs. Her eyes popped with fear when she saw him, knowing fully that he was the one who ordered the plate drop. He was not here to play around this time or just to spend time. There was purpose in his eyes.</p><p>She traded herself out for Marlene's safety and she was glad she knew him enough to trust that he'll follow through their promised exchange. On the helicopter ride back up to Shinra Tower, back to her old prison, back to the horrors of the labs, she quietly asked. "Would you be sad if I never existed?"</p><p>He did not answer her, but she could see the small frown forming on his face. Underneath all those years of inhumane work for Shinra, maybe there was still a heart.</p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>I'll See You Once Again</strong>
</p><p>As he sat off to the side bleeding, her heart was crying out. He knew enough to try to comfort her.</p><p>"I'm not dead yet Aerith." He wheezed and stopped talking when it hurt, clenching his eyes closed in pain.</p><p>She stood where she was, facing away from him. She did not want to see him, she did not want to acknowledge him. She...</p><p>She would miss him. She would miss their banters. She would miss having one of the few people who knew her since her childhood.</p><p>
  <em>Maybe one day I'll see you on the other side.</em>
</p><p>She left him there to go with her new friends.</p><p>He bitterly laughed in his head for he was too weak to actually laugh physically. All those years and it ends here.  A black feather drifted into his view, falling near his feet. <em>Like the last leaf falling from a tree. There are people who have wings but they're not angels.</em></p><p> </p><p>~...~</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Last Leaf on the Tree</strong>
</p><p>It was a warm day in early spring. He was still healing from the scars left by the Remnants. He sat on the patio facing the rows of trees behind the cliffside lodge resort, staring at them in a daze. He was unaware of his peers staring at him from inside the Lodge's window.</p><p>There was one lonely red and orange leaf left on top of a tree. He stared at it forlornly as a single tear silently rolled down his cheek.  <em>The last leaf on the tree.</em></p><p>A warm wind blew through and the leaf still hung on tight as the wind blew the tear on his face away. For a moment he felt as if she had been there, wiping his tear away.  He used his sleeve to wipe the remaining tears threatening to fall and turned to go back to his peers, his renewal on life, his found family. Another gust came through and the leaf rolled off the tree, blowing with the sound of laughter in the wind. She was such a curious and quirky person. They'll meet again one day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't even know how to feel about this.  I'm both in love with them and so sad for them.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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